The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JULY 28, 1921. AN ASSURANCE NEEDED.

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6142, 28 July 1921, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JULY 28, 1921. AN ASSURANCE NEEDED.

Whilst the question of an outer harbor for Gisborne is before the Board, it is interesting to mention that there’ is a feeling, in some quarters, that it may prove to be the case that the harbour authorities are not looking quite far enough ahead in the matter of the size of the proposed undertaking. .It may be recalled' that the Dominions Royal Commission, in its report in 1917, had something of. importance to say with reference to the question of harbor development overseas. Taking for its text the belief “that cheaper, speedier and more efficient transport between all parts of the Empire is a vital necessity for the scientific development of Imperial trade,” the Commission proceeded to advocate the use of larger and more powerful ocean tramps in- the transport trade between the Overseas Dominions and the Motherland. The Commission then laid it down that harbors at the chief points of the various routes should be made capable of accommodating vessels of the •following draughts

(a) 33 feet, on the rout© from the United Kingdom via the Suez Canal to- the East and Australia; (b) 34 feet on the route from Wes-

tern Canada to New Zealand and Australia ; (c) 38 feet on the routes from the United Kingdom (1) to Eastern Canada, (2) to Australia and New Zealand via the Union of South Africa; and (3) to New Zealand via Halifax, Jamaica and the Panama Canal.

There can be no question by that the members of that Commission reckoned that the day of small harbors on the main transport routes would soon end, for the report also says “that the principle that speedy transport at an economical cost can only be obtained by the employment of vessels of great length and draught has never been sufficiently recognised throughout the Empire.” The matter is of importance to Gisborne because there is already a move in the direction of employing larger vessels in the trade between the Overseas Dominions and Britain. But that is not all. There is also an agitation that the number of loading ports in this Dominion should be reduced. We need hardly remind the public that the position to-day is that excessive freights rule although there appears to be an over-abund-ant supply of shipping. In explanation the shipping companies declare that it does not now pay to run small and out-of-date vessels in the trade between Britain and these Overseas Dominions. It may ’turn out to be the position that this set of circumstances will hasten the day when larger steamers will be employed on all long distance runs. If at all possible, Gisborne must remain a loading port; indeed, no effort should be spared to secure • for it the privilege of becoming a direct port so far as the unloading of inward shipments is concerned. In view of what has been mentioned f in this article, the ratepayers, we feel, would be pleased to receive an assurance that the proposed outer harbor here will be capable of development to accommodate the big liners which the immediate future has in store. Any large new harbor today is bound to run into a lot of money, and, such being the case, the district cannot afford to unduly scimp in connection with its proposed undertaking. On the other hand, it would, of course, be foolish to set about to build an outer harbor that would cost more than the district will ever ,be able to afford.